Apparatus for treating fabrics



May 1935. R. c. BENNER ET AL 2,000,315.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING FABRICS Filed Dec, 5, 1952 INVENTORS RAYMOND G BENNER HENRY KIRCHNER BY RQMIE L. MELTON ATTORNEY Patented May 7, 1935 UNITED; PATENT.O-FHCE J g C atborundum Company, Niagara Falls,

N. Y., a corporation offPennsylvania I appuesfi n December 5, 19 2, seriarnm mssto g '2' Claims. (C1.26-31)- V I Y warps are sized to"-"ofiset the-difficulties of weav This application relates to methods and apparatus for surfacing cloth whereby a hard and more or less smooth surface is converted into a fieecy surface. One such product is that ordi- 5 narily called cotton flannel.

One object of the invention is to provide rolls with particularly efficient working surfaces for use in altering the smooth hard character which is ordinarily found in cotton cloth, so that the treated cotton cloth will approach more closely to woolen cloth in its general appearance and feel. In other words, one object of this invention is to so process cotton cloth that its surface is given a matted effect whereby it entraps air which gives it a lower heat conductivity. The utility of such rolls, of course, is not confined because it is effective also with other fabrics, e. g. woolen goods.

The differences that exist between cotton and woolen cloth of the same thickness (even when woven in a similar manner) are due primarily to differences in the character of the woolen and cotton fibers. Wool fibers have a complex physical structure comprising an internal column of cellular marrow, an intermediate layer of cortical tissue that gives the fiber its quality of rigidity and resistance to crushing strain. The wool fiber is naturally kinked and when a group of wool fibers are brought together they form a matted body that entraps air with the consequence that the woolen body is a poor conductor of heat.

The cotton fiber on the other hand, consists of a single long tubular cell without kinks, which is attached directly to the surface of the seed. On ripening the cell collapses and forms a ribbonlike fiber twisted into a screw-like band, the number of twists ranging from 150 to 300 twists per inch. The physical characteristics of wool and cotton fibers can be somewhat altered by sizing, that is by loading up the yarn with starch, fats, waxes, etc. This process is especially beneficial in improving the cotton fiber which is naturally deficient in strength. The sizing strengthens cotton yarn and protects it from abrasive forces such as occur during the process of weaving. During this process the warp threads are subjected to a fairly heavy tension and are subjected to abrasion from the reciprocating members which are moved back and forth between the warp threads. The size in woven cotton cloth gives it a smooth finish appearance which is generally appreciated in 'cotton goods. In woolen goods however (or in goods designed to resemble woolen goods in their surface finish). a soft fieecy surface is desired and the fibers preferably do not present a smooth appearance. While woolen ing, this size is usually 'washedout "of the'wool again so that it will retain its soft, wooly feel.

In the case of cotton, the washing out of the trating a. piece of coated fabric to which granular particles are haphazardly attached; v

Figure 3 is a similar view illustrating a granular surface of the kind used for roughing cloth according to the process disclosed in the present application.

A roughing cylinder 2 is indicated in Figure 1. This cylinder has a covering of web 3 which has a working surface of granules 4. These granules are attached in such a manner that most of them have their major axes in some other direction than parallel to the surface of the cylinder, e. g. at an angle between 45 and inclusive. The cylindrical surface of 2 can be provided with liquid hardenable adhesive to hold the web tightly to the cylinder or the web maybe secured to the cylinder by means of suitable clamps.

In roughing cotton cloth, the cloth is drawn along in contact with the surface 4 of the cylinder 2 but at a different speed from the speed given to the surface 4 by the driving shaft 6. The action of the projecting granules 4, which may be at an angle of from approximately 45 to with the backing, is to draw out a part of the fibers from the threads and thus leave numerous loose ends of fibers which are still attached at their other ends to the threads. This process makes the surface of the cotton cloth more fluffy so that it closely resembles flannel in appearance and feel. Ordinary cotton cloth, on the other hand, is rather smooth and free from nap, whereas a fluffy surface entraps air and reduces the heat conductivity.

The usual granular coated web, such as illustrated in Figure 2, has not been entirely satisfactory in converting a smooth hard surface of woven threads into a fieecy surface. The fiat or dull portions of the granules 5 engage the cloth and produce an abrading action which wears away a portion of the surface threads thereby reducing the weight and decreasing the strength of the woven material. Such granular coatings relatively large open space between the oriented,

granules prevents the granular coating frombe coming filled or clogged. A lower pressure is re-' quired to eflect a desired penetration of the granules into the surface of the cloth than is the case with the usual granular coating. Obviously less heat is generated by friction in the case of the oriented granular coating and such a web is more efiicient in converting a smooth hard'surface of woven threads into a fieecy surface.

While the description in the specification relates to apparatus for and methods of treating cotton cloth, woven materials made from other fibers may be treated in an analogous manner.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for treating cloth comprising a rotary support and a covering fastened thereto, said covering comprising a web coated with elongated abrasive particles the major proportion of which are separated from each other by a distance less than their major axes and attached endwise to the surface of the web.

2. Apparatus for treating cloth comprising a rotary cylinder; a covering fastened thereto, said covering comprising a web coated with elongated abrasive particles, the major proportion of which are separated from each other by a distance less than their major axes and attached endwise to the-surface of the web and means for securing said cylinder.

RAYMOND C. BENNER. HENRY P. KIRCHNER. ROMIE L. MELTON.

said coated web to 

